Pokémon is a cute game series about catching creatures and raising them to make them stronger. What's not to like? Well, there are several groups that have many problems with the series, ranging from those who believe that the games promote animal abuse to those who think that it's a gateway towards worshiping the Devil. Many organizations and churches have pushed for the series to be banned for various reasons. Certain episodes have been banned, most notably for causing seizures. However, did you know that the entire franchise was banned in Islamic-centric countries?
In countries that have Islam as the country's official religion or have governments that follow Islamic beliefs, Pokémon is banned because they believe that it promotes the theory of evolution as written by Charles Darwin, which goes against fundamentalist Islamic doctrine as well as gambling. This is not to say that all Muslims reject the idea of evolution, as like with Christianity, there are a wide range of Muslims who have beliefs that include evolution, such as theistic evolution. Theistic evolution is the belief that a deity, be it God or Allah or whomever, created everything, but then all of the lifeforms began to evolve. However, countries such as Saudi Arabia have claimed that "the Qu'ran is their constitution." This means that their laws are influenced by their religious beliefs.
The first ban on the series came from Saudi Arabia in 2001 when the Grand Mufti issued the first of many bans throughout the Arab Gulf States. Others followed suit, though the merchandise was still somewhat available. However, newer merchandise wouldn't be sold. When Pokémon Go! was released, it was banned when the original fatwa was renewed in Saudi Arabia. The fatwa declared that the game promoted polytheism, gambling and evolution. The anime had been dubbed in Arabic but was sparsely shown in an attempt to curb interest. Fans have found ways around this, given that we live in an age of the internet, but younger children have very few ways of viewing the series beyond finding it on TV. Disney XD is one of the only channels showing new episodes, but they are all in English.
Luckily for Pokémon fans, it seems that in recent years, the bans and fatwas (a formal ruling based on Islamic law) have slowly been lifted against the series and its various forms. In 2016, the United Arabic Emirates became the first Islamic nation to hold Play! Pokémon events, which were recognized by The Pokémon Company International. The Pokémon TV service also hasn't been region-blocked, so fans can still access it via the website or the app. In 2017, Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions was performed in Abu Dhabi, the first one to be performed in any Arabic state. Slowly, the series seems to be gaining traction despite the bans.
Even so, the younger generation of fans won't understand just how influential Pokémon was when it first came out. They also won't understand the pushback against it by religious groups for fear of children taking part in Satanic rites. However, it seems that this long-held ban is finally starting to die down as the years go on, and children all over the world will get to experience the joys that come with receiving their first Pokémon game or watching their first anime episode.
